Kei Nishikori some how found a way through to the semi finals of the Miami Open after defeating Gael Monfils 4-6, 6-3, 7-6. The Japanese came through a tremendous 2 hour 32 minute battle in which he was against the ropes on many occasions but he found a way to save five match points and come out on top in the end.
Monfils took the opening set, which included 11 winners, and showed his most aggressive side and brilliant athleticism to take the opener 6-4. Nishikori upped his game in the second set and took an important break of serve in the fourth game. The roles had reversed and it was now the Japanese player who attacked and the Frenchman who defended. Nishikori kept up the rhythm in the third set and broke a downbeat Monfils in the third game.
But Monfils managed to flip the match around once again and at 5-4 he had three match points at 0-40 on Nishikori’s serve. The Frenchman didn’t take any of them, or a further fourth match point in the same game, and the match eluded him once again in Nishikori’s following service game. The Japanese had survived and trundled into the tie break, and the sense of having been granted a lifeline boosted Nishikori who made sure he wouldn’t let an opportunity like this slip away as he dispatched Monfils. Nishikori will have to recover, both mentally and physically, before facing either Nick Kyrgios or Milos Raonic in the semi finals.
